In praise of the BMG: well balanced and fair

It’s not surprising. If you are a middle of the road, centrist independent you'll cop flack from both (extremist) sides, especially from the loser. Fairfax Media and the new Gazette is more like a professional newspaper with good, solid news and opinion, well-balanced and fair. Keep up the good work.

What a delight it was to read former Labor mayor, Jim Angel's letter last week. It displayed something we don't often hear any more at BMCC – ideas and vision.

Jim was the last of the real "old school" BMCC mayors who put community first and was not constantly motivated by personal political ambition to jump into state and federal politics. He commanded respect even from people who disagreed with him. Good on you Jim, your voice is welcome back!

Editor’s note: Regular letters correspondent, Rob Thompson of Lawson (North Lawson from this week) is not the same as another Rob Thompson who lives in South Lawson. 

In a recent Gazette letter Rob Thompson opined that the recently concluded federal election represented a low point in Australian politics. We certainly have been descending deeper and deeper into the abyss since the days of Howard’s children overboard, with Abbott’s carbon tax demonisation, his sloganism, and Labor’s acrimonious Gillard-Rudd revolving door but just a few examples.

This time around the whatever it takes mentality has reached new heights and our own backyard brought out a most blatant example with a certain Badgerys Creek flyer.

The flyer said, in big bold font, “Don’t want a 24-hour airport? Put Louse Markus Last”. In an effective two-horse that meant put Labor’s Susan Templeman in front. The author of this insightful advice? The flyer didn’t say beyond the legally required authoriser’s name, a certain Kaila Murnain, who, for the uninitiated, which is just about everybody, happens to be secretary of the NSW ALP.

The greater sleight of hand, what puts it well and truly in the chutzpah class, is that Labor too opposes a curfew for Badgerys Creek. We read that in the Gazette where Anthony Albanese, flanked by Leader Shorten and Susan Templeman, announced how overnight flights would be constrained to minimise noise over urban areas. Never mind that depends on a yet to be determined runway configuration. What matters is that overnight aircraft noise reduction is only needed if you don’t have a curfew, clearly showing Labor doesn’t want one either.

What are the lessons here? Nick Xenophon has called for political advertising to be subjected to the same truth standards as other advertising. Sounds a totally sensible, albeit belated, move.

Labor figures in the Mountains, too, have something to make up for. Enough of their bland, soporific and sometimes dishonest airport utterances. It’s time they used their “whatever it takes” skills set to take on the proponents of this deplorable airport proposal.

Mayor Mark Greenhill is indeed optimistic that there will not be a formal merger between the Blue Mountains and Penrith Councils in view of the duplication in senior management costs and lack of transparency and public input about the "strategic alliance" put in operation by the councils themselves in 2015 (BMG 13.7.16). 

Former Mayor Jim Angel has quite rightly called for genuine, independent, long-term regional planning and community discussion and debate about the common regional and community values and features to base our future local governance.

The world heritage parks are a great unifying base worthy of community, strategic planning and state government discussion and consideration for future boundaries. 

There are the further advantages of diminishing rather than reinforcing current perceptions that the national parks are somehow divided between Sydney and the bush and that a sandstone barrier divides the community west of Mount Victoria from the Sydney region.

What a surprise! Private colleges ripping off their students; charging over the top for questionable qualifications even if they do struggle through; recruiting students who have neither the ability nor aptitude for imposed courses if their first preference is not met; where the bottom line is far more important than the welfare of the student.

Compare these outcomes with TAFE where assessing students at the information stage enabled appropriate placement; where fully qualified teachers delivered quality instruction and utilised appropriate resources; and where support was offered to students as needed.

This was a system where TAFE's credibility was unquestioned and had the confidence of employers. Students were given every assistance to work towards their goals and course costs were kept at a reasonable, affordable level for the strata of society they were targeting.

The deliberate dismantling of TAFE and selling off of buildings is a tragedy as TAFE made us a leader in vocational education and the envy of the world. Both state and federal governments are to blame for the privatisation of education and the subsequent debasement and affordability in this area.

I had the privilege of visiting the Blue Mountains Theatre last Sunday to see John Waters perform Lennon Through a Glass Onion.

Firstly, the show was brilliant.

But more importantly I was blown away by the venue that we have just been given in Springwood. What a fantastic world class venue for the Blue Mountains.

All involved in planning and building this great venue should be congratulated.